Stencil machine table alignment construction



' Sept. 15, 1959 H. w. HEMPEL 2,904,155

' STENCIL MACHINE TABLE ALIGNMENT CONSTRUCTION Filed July 5. 1955 //\/\/EA/ 1?: HERBERT w. MPEL United States Patent O STENCIL MACHINE TABLE ALIGNMENT CONSTRUCTION Herbert W. Hempel, Belleville, Ill., assignor to Marsh Stencil Machine Company, Belleville, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 5, 1955, Serial No. 519,911

4 Claims. (Cl. 1976.7)

The present invention relates generally to stencil machines, and more particularly to a novel stencil machine table construction.

In the many years stencil machines have been in use, various constructions have been provided for aligning a stencil board before the stencil cutting operation. Those in present use include a heavy carriage to which the stencil board is clamped prior to its manipulation into cutting position. Also in use are surface lines on the table along which the outer edge of the stencil board is visually aligned. However, these and other known constructions are unsatisfactory for many obvious reasons; hence, for many years there has existed a need for a simple, positive, alignment construction for stencil machine tables.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel stencil table alignment construction which satisfies the long existing need.

In brief, an exemplification of the present novel stencil machine table alignment construction comprises spaced longitudinal grooves in the table, the inner side of which is lower than the outer side, thereby providing, in effect, a sawtooth pattern in transverse cross section.

Another object is to provide a novel stencil machine table alignment construction which incorporates means for positively aligning a stencil board.

Another object is to provide a novel stencil machine table alignment construction by which stencil boards may be aligned by touch.

Another object is to provide a novel stencil machine table alignment construction by which stencil boards may be quickly and accurately aligned.

Another object is to provide a novel stencil machine table alignment construction which may be used by the stencil machine operator with minimum prior instruction, which has no moving parts, which is formed to last for the life of the stencil machine, and is otherwise adapted to fulfill the objects and advantages sought therefor.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages are apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a portion of a stencil machine having a table incorporating the teachings of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged plan view of the stencil machine table of Figure 1 detached from the stencil machine for purposes of illustration;

Figure 3 is a further enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view on substantially the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view on substantially the line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to Figure 3 of a modified construction.

Referring to the drawing more particularly by reference numerals, indicates a stencil machine table having a platform 12 which includes an embodiment of the present invention. Parallel longitudinal grooves 14 See 2 are formed in the platform 12 each of which is defined by an outer wall 16 and an inner wall 18.

The outer wall 16 of each groove 14 has an upper edge 20 which is at substantially the level of the platform 12. The inner wall 18 of each groove 14 has an upper edge 22 which is at an elevation below the edge 20, in one preferred construction, the former being about one thirty-second of an inch below the latter. Platform segments 23 between the grooves 14 slope evenly forwardly from the upper edges 20 to the upper edges 22, as is clear from Figure 3.

As illustrated, the grooves 14 extend from one edge of the platform 12 to a transverse groove 24. This arrangement may be modified to carry the grooves 14 fully across the platform 12, if desired, or other arrangements may be used. The transverse "groove 24 is conventional and is used as a starting guide for the left end of the stencil board.

In Figure 5 is a modified form of the present invention. Ridges 26 are provided in place of the grooves 14, which may be cast with the platform 12', as illustrated, or may be in the form of attached parallel strips. The platform 12 is at a uniform level throughout.

In Figure 1, the table 10 is shown secured to and forming a part of a stencil machine 30. A stencil board 32 is aligned by a groove 14 and ready for stencil cutting.

In use, as is manifest from the foregoing it is a simple matter to align the outer edge of a stencil board 32 with a selected groove 14- by touch, thereby obviating visual alignment which is seldom accurate unless care is taken. The stencil board 32 is sufliciently flexible to permit the outer edge to be slightly deflected downward so that it will edge an outer wall 16, or a ridge 26 outwardly of the first one, as a guide stop. The conventional stencil machine feed rollers 34 are engaged with the stencil board 32 in the usual manner of operating a stencil machine 30 while it is thus initially aligned.

It is apparent that there has been provided a stencil machine table alignment construction which fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing have been given by way of illustration and example. It is also to be understood that changes in form of the elements, rearrangement of parts, and substitution of equivalent elements, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a stencil machine table including a platform, and at least one longitudinal groove in said platform including an inner wall and an outer wall, the upper edge of the inner wall being at a lower level than the upper edge of the outer wall.

2. In combination, a stencil machine table including a platform, and at least one longitudinal groove in said platform including an inner Wall and an outer wall, the upper edge of the inner wall being at a lower level than the upper edge of the outer Wall, the platform surface leading up to said inner lower wall sloping gently for-,

wardly.

3. In combination, a stencil machine table including a horizontal stencil board supporting platform, and fixed stencil board aligning means on the platform, said aligning means comprising spaced parallel grooves formed in the surface of the platform and uniformly sloped platform surface segments extending between adjacent pairs of grooves.

4. In combination, a stencil machine table including a horizontal stencil board supporting platform, and fixed stencil board aligning means on the platform, said aligning means comprising a plurality of grooves formed in v the upper surface of the platform and extending in spaced parallel array, each of said grooves includin one wall surface for slidable guiding abutment with an edge of a stencil board, said one wall surface of each groove being of greater height than the other Wall surface and planar platform surface segments extending continuously between said grooves for flush abutment with said stencil board adjacent the guided edge thereof.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Bradley Oct. 25, 1898 Hempel et al Aug. 18, 1942 Chatterton June 12, 1945 Paley Dec. 2, 1952 

